The UN Secretary-General's former Special Representative to Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, speaking at a seminar on "Federalism" in Brussels last week stated that the Greek Cypriots didn't want a Cyprus settlement for two reasons; first because they were economically wealthy and secondly because they were EU members.

Explaining that President Denktas had told him that the main aim of the Greek Cypriots "was to take over the sovereignty of the whole island", De Soto said he hoped that, one day, President Denktas' claim would prove to be incorrect.

Pointing out that up until now the Greek Cypriot side was not in favour of a settlement and if they favoured a bizonal and bicommunal federation it had to clarify if it accepted the principles of "Political Equality" and "Share of Power" with the Turkish Cypriots, De Soto said, he would continue to support the idea of three governments (as envisaged in the Annan Plan) as it was better than the current two governments and thus implied that he acknowledged the existence of the two separate governments in Cyprus.

The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Serdar Denktas, speaking to the Anatolian News Agency (AA) correspondent, pointing out that his request to meet with the Greek Cypriot leader, Tassos Papadopoulos, was still valid, said nothing could be achieved without dialogue.

On being reminded of the recent confession made by Doros Theodorou, the Greek Cypriot Minister for Justice and Public Order, that, up until today, the Greek Cypriot side had prevented a settlement from being reached, Serdar Denktas, pointing out that these words were not new, said the Turkish Cypriot side had explained this to every foreign diplomat and ambassador it had met with over the years.

Explaining that the Greek Cypriot side should give up its policy of not acknowledging the Turkish Cypriots as its counterpart and political equal, Minister Denktas, reiterating that the new negotiation process, which is expected to start in May, would be the last try, said the Turkish Cypriot side would not wait forever for the Greek Cypriot side and strategies had to be decided on before sitting down at the negotiating table.

On being reminded that the UN Secretary-General's former Special Representative to Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto, had stated that the Greek Cypriots didn't want a Cyprus settlement, Serdar Denktas said during their terms of duty international mediators had always been biased, seen the Turkish Cypriot side as being "intransigent" and not taken seriously the warnings made by President Denktas. He said last minute regrets didn't mean anything because it was still the Turkish Cypriot side who was being punished.

Following the February 20 general elections the swearing in of the newly elected MP's to the TRNC Parliament took place in the first meeting of the Parliament's 6^th term on March 4, with 24 MP's from the Republican Party - United Forces (CTP-BG), 19 MP's from the National Unity Party (UBP), 6 MP's from the Democrat Party (DP) and 1 MP from the Peace and Democracy Movement (BDH) entering the Parliament.